My Brother, My Protector, My Friend
by Juu
Summary: Chapter one: Juunanagou and Juuhachigou have always wanted to find out who they were. Now, they've found their parents, but it turns out that their dream has become a nighmare.


My Brother, my Protector, my Friend   
  


By Juu   
  


Chapter one 

Better off Without Them   
  


Juunanagou layed on his bed with his hands behind his head. There was something that he knew, that he had known for quite some time; something that was beginning to eat at him. Finally, he gave in and sat up. With a loud sigh he walked to the door of his cabin. It was time to tell his sister what he had discovered all that time ago..... 

****************************************************************** 

In the middle of the woods, a little bit more than two miles from Son Gohan's house, Juuhachigou sat on the porch of her families newly constructed house. Goten and Trunks were sparring outside, while a newly turned five Marron cheered them on. Gohan kept an eye on his younger kin while he chatted with Krillin about what Goku had been doing in training. 

It was two years since Buu had attacked and been defeated, and everyone had returned to their normal, peaceful lives. Juuhachi watched her family with a smile on her face, and almost subconsciously brought her hand to her stomach. She concentrated and felt the small ki living inside of her. It had been just two months earlier that Krillin had discovered that his wife had life energy, giving them news that the cyborg woman was pregnant with their second child. Krillin and Marron were ecstatic about the baby, and Juuhachi herself was excited at the prospect of having another miracle to call her own. The only thing that bothered her about it was that she still hadn't told her twin about it. 

Juunangou had always been closed off towards the other fighters. Most of them saw him as a cold hearted machine, whose only reason for not attacking them was because of his sister. But Juuhachigou knew better. Around her he was different, acting more and more like a normal person, talking, bickering with her, even laughing occasionally at things that did not involve something blowing up. Of course, though, whenever anyone else came around he would clam up. It was his way of self defense. Juuhachi knew that life was hard for him. She had Krillin and Marron, and many friends in the other fighters, while her brother had only himself. It was something that often made Juuhachigou feel guilty. 

As if hearing her thoughts, Juunanagou suddenly flew up to the house, his black hair blowing back in the wind. He landed, and immediately Goten and Trunks scrambled for the other side of the house. Marron, however, giggled happily. 

"Uncle Nana! Hi!" Marron never had been afraid of her uncle. Juunana gave her a slight smile and then approached his sister, ignoring the uncomfortable look Gohan was giving him. Juuhachi shifted uncomfortably. Never before in her life had she been so grateful that Juunana had never learned to sense ki. It would have lead to a bunch of questions she didn't want to answer just yet. 

"Juu....." Juunana said softly. " I need to show you something." There was something in his tone that said something was wrong. 

"Okay...." Juuhachi replied and waited for him to show her whatever it was he needed to. Her brother gave her a confused look and then started. 

"Oh, no. Not here. Its at the cabin." 

"Oh, okay. What is it?" 

"You'll see when we get there. Just come on." Juuhachi regarded him with an amused face. 

"You're keeping secrets? What's gotten into you?" Juunana shrugged. 

"I don't know. Just come on." 

"Okay, okay." Juuhachi turned towards her husband. "Hey Krillin?" He turned and gave her a smile. 

"Yeah?" 

"I'll be right back. Juunana wants to show me something." 

Krillin looked from his brother-in-law to his wife. Juunana avoided looking at him. Krillin nodded. 

"Okay. See you soon then, Julie!" Juuhachi waved, and then her and Juunana blasted off into the sky. They flew to the little cabin in complete silence. Once there, the twins went inside. Still silent, Juunana walked to a small cabinet sitting in the corner of the main room. Juuhachigou recognized it. It had been locked for as long as she could remember, even when her and Juunana had been living together after the Cell games. Juunana had told her he'd never opened it and had lost the key. Which is why she was surprised when he pulled a small silver key from his pocket and fitted it into the key hole. The young woman shot him a look, which he ignored. 

"After I was wished back to life after Cell," he said suddenly. "And you started ditching me for your human friend-" 

"Juunana!" Juuhachi cried, thinking they were going to get into another argument about that. Juunana continued, oblivious to her outburst. 

"-I went looking around some of Gero's labs and stuff." This confused Juuhachi. Of course she had known that Dr. Gero had had other labs, but she also knew that she wanted to forget all about that man and those awful places and had thought her brother did as well. 

"How come?" She asked. 

"Well, to tell you the truth, at first I wanted to see if there was anything to make me stronger. I kind of......uh......wanted to kill off all the other fighters-" 

"Juunana you didn't! Tell me you didn't!" Juuhachi exclaimed. "Why would you-" 

"Calm down." The raven haired boy said calmly. "I didn't find anything, obviously, so I tried to deactivate myself. I didn't know that Krillin had wished the suicide bombs out of us. Another "favor" on his part." 

"But.....why did you even want to?" Juunana suddenly got angry. 

"See! You don't get it! You didn't then and you don't now! I saw how happy you were with him and it made me sick. Sick to think that my own sister thought of me like everyone else did. I couldn't make you that happy, so if you didn't want me around then why should I stay around?" 

Juuhachi couldn't believe her ears. Her brother, who had always loved the thrill of living, had once contemplated suicide?! She was at a loss for words. 

"Juunana.......I didn't know you-" 

"Forget about it; its over with. But while I was looking for the detonation remote, I found this stuff inside one of the lockers." He opened the cabinet door. Inside were two faded backpacks. One was a dull yellow, the other a gray that looked like it had once been blue. Juuhachi looked at Juunana questioningly. He nodded towards the backpacks. 

"Look inside them." Juuhachi suddenly didn't want to. She felt like there was something inside them that was liable to jump out and tear her to pieces. Still, for her brother's sake, she grabbed the gray one and unzipped the top. Inside was a textbook with some papers shoved into it, a baseball, and a small game playing machine. Juuhachi pulled the machine out and looked it over. Juunana took it from her and switched it on. It worked, barely. 

"Still works. Amazing, huh?" Juunana said monotonously. 

"But what-" 

"Keep looking. You'll see." Next Juuhachi picked up the text book. It seemed to be a grammar book. She flipped open the front cover. Written in the top corner in messy blue ink was the name Metsuya Tamasaki. She stared at the name. It had no meaning to her whatsoever. She pulled out some of the papers. A, A, A, A.......and then a math paper: D-. On all of them was the name Metsuya Tamasaki. Juuhachi began to feel uneasy. 

"Juunana," she asked. "Are these...." 

"Look in the other one. Then you'll get it." She grabbed the other one and peered inside. There were two books in this one. The first one was a science book. A picture of a killer whale leaping out of the ocean and the word 'science' looked back at her. Papers were folded and shoved inside it. The name on all the papers and the book was Sakira Tamasaki. 

Juuhachi tossed that book aside and pulled out the other one. It was the same grammar book that had been in the other backpack. Juuhachigou looked it over on the outside, and then opened it. When she did, several pictures fell out. Two of them were of people she didn't recognize, but the third one sent chills up and down her spine. A girl with shoulder length blonde hair flowing around her shoulders and blue eyes sat on the shoulders of a boy the same age with short black hair standing waist deep in a swimming poor. It was unmistakable who it was: Juuhachi and Juunana. 

"It's us!" 

"I know. After Gero got us he must have taken our things and tossed them aside." Juuhachi was in shock. 

"Why didn't you tell me?! You knew who we were all this time?!" 

"No," Juunana said defensively. "All I had was a name. I couldn't remember anything else, no matter how hard I tried. I looked everywhere for these people and I couldn't find anyone....until this week. I think......I'm pretty sure I know where our parents live." Juuhachi gasped. 

"You......you do?!! Oh Juunana.......That's.......I never dreamed that-" 

"I haven't met them yet," Her twin interrupted suddenly. "I wanted to wait for you." Juuhachi smirked. 

"Smart move. So......when can we go?!" 

"Uh...." Juunana thought. "I dunno, tomorrow?" 

"Okay! Okay!!" Juuhachi leapt up and ran to the door. "You come over to our house tomorrow around 5:00." 

"Uh......sure." Juunana shrugged. Juuhachi flashed him a smile and then flew home as fast as she could. She was going so fast that she nearly fell when she landed. Krillin was still outside, putting some finishing touches on the house. Gohan, Goten, and Trunks had all gone home, and Marron was inside, napping. The former villainess was so happy that she ran straight to her husband and leapt into his arms, a gesture that was indeed very rare. Krillin laughed, surprised. 

"I take it you have good news!" He stated. 

"Yeah! Its kind of......well.......Juunana found our parents. We're going to go meet them tomorrow!" 

"Really?" Krillin asked. He certainly hadn't expected that. Juuhachi nodded, and then pulled back, blushing a bit from her sudden display of affection towards the little guy. They decided not to tell Marron. Juuhachi wanted to surprise her with her grandparents after she herself had met them. 

That night, it was nearly impossible to sleep. At first, it was because of excitement. But the excitement slowly changed to fear. Fear of the unknown. The twins were about to meet the people they had thought were gone for good once they were manipulated and changed by Gero. They had no idea what to expect. 

******************************************************************   
  


The next day, Juunanagou showed up outside his sister's house like he agreed to. However, he flat out refused to let Krillin go with them, which made Juuhachigou a bit angry. She didn't want to admit it to her brother, but she needed Krillin. She was a nervous wreck. In the end, though, Juunana got his way and they set off with Juunana in the lead. 

Before long, they had reached Satan City, and the rich part of it too. The houses there were almost the equivalent of a small village; most had three stories and were decorated elaborately with statues, fountains; one was even covered with marble gargoyles. Juuhachi gave her brother an odd look. Was he sure he had the right area? 

"It took me forever to get people to talk to me about our parents. Whenever I asked them if they knew a Tamasaki, they would clam up and not say anything. Fortunately, I had the right kind of persuasion." Juunana smirked and flexed his hand. Then he started walking ahead down the sidewalk, gesturing over his shoulder to his sister. 

"Come on." She followed him, and he watched the house numbers, counting them off outloud. 

"1134,1136,1138,1140.......1142!" They stopped in front of a large brick house. At least three different chimneys stuck out of the roof like tombstones, and ivy twisted and snaked its way up the walls and curled around the bars of the stone railing of the balconies. The glass in the windows shone like stars, and behind them lace curtains blew gently. Behind the house, a large swimming pool glistened like the ocean, like a silent mirror for the sun. Juunanagou whistled as he looked the mansion up. 

"Gosh.... 'mom and dad' must be loaded," he commented. Juuhachi hung back a bit. Her brother glanced at her over his shoulder. 

"You aren't scared, are you?" 

Regaining herself confidence, Juuhachi put her hands on her hips and gave her brother a smug smile. 

"Its just a house. Let's go." The two of them made their way up the curling walkway. Unlike some of the other homes in the neighborhood, this one didn't have a wall with a locked gate in front of the driveway. No, this one was out in the open, as if the owners wanted to say "We have all this money. Come and look at us." 

Juuhachi hid behind her brother as he pushed the doorbell. Inside, pleasant chimes rang. Juuhachi half expected a maid, or a butler to answer the door, but when the door finally opened, it wasn't either of them......it was a woman with long, jet black hair standing in a pink kimono. Her face was full and very youthful, but it had a kind of plastered look to it. She carried herself in a very dignified manner, standing up straight and offering a polite smile. But the thing that both brother and sister noticed right away.......was the woman's eyes. The same pale blue, the same cat like slant that the twins shared. 

"Can I help you?" She asked in a mannerly way. Juunanagou and Juuhachigou stood there for a moment, not knowing what to say. Finally, Juunana found his voice. 

"Um.....are you....M-Mrs. Tamasaki?" The cyborg's normally cool and calm tone was faltering in the presence of the woman who had given birth to him. Her smile never fell from her face. It was almost pasted on. 

"Yes I am. Are you.......doing something for school? Let me get my check book and I'll make a donation to whatever club or-" 

"Um no." Juunana interrupted. He had to admit he felt a bit put off by her not recognizing them immediately. But then again.......it had been years. "We aren't here for a fundraiser. We came to ask you something......Did you um......lose two children a few years ago?" The woman's eyes hardened and she lost her smile. 

"That is none of your business. Who put you up to this, we did our part. Why can't you teenagers just leave that alone; its dead and buried." With that she began to shut the door. For the first time, Juuhachi spoke up. 

"Wait!" 

"You're..." the younger twin continued. "Our mother." At Juunanagou's last words the woman stopped. She stared at the two people before her, comprehending a last who they really were. The left corner of her mouth twitched, then she blinked, muttered something not understandable, and fainted. The twins stood in shock, not sure what had happened. Then a man with corn husk colored hair ran down the stairs and to the woman, apparently brought down by the sound of her thud on the floor. He began shaking her. 

"Honaku! What happened!?" The woman slowly opened her eyes and sat up. 

"I'm sorry, Rajin..." She stammered. She gestured at Juunanagou and Juuhachigou. "Its......Sakira and Metsuya." Rajin looked at the twins like his wife had done moments before. Only this time, with the recognition came something that looked like anger. 

"Impossible!" He exclaimed before turning and stalking down the hallway. Juunana and his sister stared after him, aghast. Honaku sighed quietly and turned back to her children. 

"Pardon him," she said quietly. "Its just that we weren't expecting to see you again. Please follow me." She started down the hallway in the same direction her husband had gone, with the twins trailing behind her. Juuhachi was a bit confused. This wasn't exactly the reaction she had been expecting. 

Honaku lead them to a large room, where furniture and bookshelves were arranged professionally. Rajin sat with his arms crossed in a large arm chair. Honaku sat in a smaller one beside him, and gestured for Juuhachi and her brother to sit down. They did, on a very cushiony couch directly across from their parents. 

"Now," Honaku said finally. "Why did you come back?" 

"Because." Juunana was getting irritated. To him, it seemed the reason was obvious. 

"Why did you come back here?" Honaku repeated. "We could lose everything because of you being here." Juunana just gave her a look while Juuhachi kept her eyes down. 

"What's that mean?" Juunana asked finally. 

"Well dear.......a few days after you disappeared, a man came to our door. He was a bit of a funny looking old man, but apparently he was very wealthy. In exchange for you to, he offered us money." Juuhachi's eyes snapped up. She was beginning to get a bad sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she doubted it was from the baby. 

"Huh?" Juunana asked, confused. 

"We were poor." Honaku continued as if she hadn't heard Juunanagou. " You were the oldest of five children......it was so much we couldn't refuse." Juuhachi's breath caught in her throat. She saw her brother's eyes harden. 

"You sold us," he said accusingly. 

"We didn't have much of a choice," Honaku protested. "He said he would keep paying us every year as long as you didn't return. In place of our old middle class life, he offered us the high life. You always were such troublesome children, always getting into trouble at school. And besides, he swore you wouldn't be hurt-" 

"Wouldn't......be.......hurt...." Juunana leapt up. The humanity that he had worked so long to regain was slipping quickly from his eyes. "We wouldn't be hurt!!? Do you have any idea the hell we have been through?!! Any idea at all?! I can't remember anything about who I really am, what I was like as a child, anything at all up until a few years ago, and neither can Juu!" 

"Juu?" Rajin asked, speaking for once. 

"My sister! My family!" He pointed at Juuhachi, who was staring straight ahead, trying not to loose it. "Remember Cell? 'Mom?' 'Dad?' Remember him?!" 

"Of course we-" 

"He chased us around and sucked us up through his tail to become stronger. Do you have any idea what its like to be hunted, to be chased down like an animal, all for the sick plans of a monster like that? We wouldn't be hurt....and you actually believed that bull shit. We aren't even human anymore." Their parents were cowering in Juunana's angry shadow. Honaku turned her face towards Juuhachigou. 

"Sakira, what does he mean? The doctor said it was an experiment-" 

"Who's Sakira?" Juunana asked, his voice eerily calm. "Are you talking to my sister? She doesn't know that name. The only name she knows is artificial human 18." Her brother's words stung at Juuhachi. She pulled on his arm. 

"Junnana...." she said softly. "Stop it." Honaku and Rajin stared at them. They had paled. 

"I-I don't understand," Honaku stammered. 

"What to see how **I** understand?" Juunanagou turned around and yanked his black T-shirt off. For the first time, Juuhachigou saw the tatoo on his back, the black numbers and a symbol that made up: #17. After a moment, Juunana pulled his shirt back on and turned around. For the first time in his life he lowered his eyes. 

"She doesn't have one though." He said, referring to Juuhachi. "I wouldn't let him touch her." Juuhachi watched her brother in surprise. 

"Juunana.....I never knew you-" She was interrupted by Rajin's frantic cry of denial. 

"It-its nothing. Its just a tatoo." Juuana glared, his icy blue eyes piercing into his 'parents.' 

"You want to really see something? That's not even the beginning of what I mean when I say we aren't human." Before Juuhachi could stop him, he fired right over Rajin and Honaku's heads, blowing a hole through the wall and all the way out of the house, leaving a gaping wound in the architecture. Juuhachi leapt up. 

"Juunana!" She was angry at him acting so savage. He was glaring at Honaku and Rajin. 

"See what your money has bought you?" He said sarcastically. Honaku finally found her voice, though it was hoarse and shaky. 

"You......you monsters! You demons!" 

"Get out now!" Rajin joined in. " We didn't try to get you back because we didn't want you! Now get out!" 

"Monsters!" Honaku cried again. Juuhachigou felt like she'd been stabbed in the heart. She had never, ever, ever expected that and it was like a cruel slap in the face. She balled her hands into fists and looked at her parents one last time before running out of the room and out of the house. Juunana had one last thing to say. 

"You're the monsters." Then he took off after his sister. She ran down the walkway and took off into the air. She was so angry she could feel it radiating from her body. Soon, Juunanagou caught up with her and flew in front of her. She stopped. 

"Why did they do that?!" She burst out. "They didn't care at all?! We waited so long to find them and.......and......" Juuhachi relaxed her fists and let her arms hang down by her sides. 

"Our own parents think we're monsters." Juunana was quiet. When Juuhachi looked at him, she saw that his eyes had lost the savage look, but were still harder than usual. He shrugged and managed a smirk. 

"Yeah, well, its not like we're missing out on anything. I mean we're no worse off than before." 

"Yeah, I know, but-" 

"Hey sis, promise me something. Promise we won't be separated." 

"Huh? But Juunana, my family and-" 

"I know about them," Juunanagou interrupted. " Believe it or not, I'm actually getting kind of used to that little human husband of yours. I mean....don't reject me. Don't fight against me. Okay? And try not to spring anymore surprises on me." 

Surprises......Juuhachi decided that now was not the best time to reveal about the baby. So she just smiled. 

"Yeah....I promise." 


End file.
